Best of the Web Today columnist James Taranto responds to reader comments on his Friday column drawing out the similarities between President Obama and George W. Bush. Photo credit: Getty Images.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

... I ... the seed a lot of reader in your comments here at the Wall Street Journal editorial page ... so instead of letting these things dangle out there in the Cyber sphere ... we decided to talk back directly to you ... the key to faster Web columnist James Taranto on the set ... I James what a piece last week called ... the difference between forty three in forty four ... not so much ... by comparison of this president and the previous one ... and ... what I ... did the biggest responses to that piece ... was say ... you miss the big comparison was the first reader response up on the screen ... I've that this is a quote by a fella named David Bryan he said quote ... another similarity push nearly double the national debt during his two terms Obama is on track to more than doubling ... James talkback when you say ... when you put that in the piece ... when I was more making points about time the certain the way the president's use of trotted out ... by the it's it's a point on the other hand I don't think Bush ... set out to double the national debt he had died you know these unexpected war is ... lived and died died ... of course ... this means that right ... doubling the national debt more was when Obama took office reason it's four times what it was when Bush took office ... so I he I think this this criticism that they're both sort of big government guys ... I can understand the criticism I think it misses the mark somewhat because I think Obama is ideologically committed to increasing the size of government where as with Bush it was more inertia we haven't really had a president who was committed to small government since the new deal ... with the exception of Ronald Reagan and in succeeding who's been reducing it much either okay let's let's add another one up it was hard to choose we got hundreds of responses to this op ed ... and I quote this from Chris entering ... into one huge difference between George Dubya Bush Obama if you are a businessman you were far more inclined to make capital investments ... while George Dubya Bush was president ... then you are under Obama and the business cycle ... ain't that the reason ... I ... James ... what he said while it's an interesting counter factual history would've happened if Bush had a third term ... and he ... inherited the mess that Obama says he inherited from George W Bush for himself ... now he probably would not have done certain things to make it worse like I'm imposing on Obamacare the the the the stimulus ... ah yes this is true it might not have been wounded not been quite as big as Obama is ... on the other hand you know perhaps in the long run Obama will turn out to be better because ... going back to the previous point ... I'd Bush can it continue the existing momentum for bigger government ... Obama really try to accelerated ... that Obama went too far we gotta backlash now we have the tea party so I perhaps side Obama is the marks the end of the pendulum is swinging back well here's hoping I think he got signed for one or two more let's get the next one up on the screen ... and here we go this is from Stephen King if as to rent a sub heading asserts there is little difference between forty three in forty four ... might it be time to question the notion that it much matters who occupies the local office ... even last question the notion the Great mansion history ... and are instead swept along by its times like everyone else ... big question from Steven Heath James doesn't really matter who these guys are or they just ... victims of circumstance well it matters to some extent but probably not as much as they like to think ... and remember Obama win and with these huge plants ... downside he's been frustrated because he has to deal with that they've come up against reality ... I and you know he was going to give us universal health care it doesn't look like forgetting that for example in cocaine to we have done for one more ... and those that control was its only the to do it in a lot more of an estate yes we do this is from Jane Patterson James is a tough one ... oh I get messenger at this point that sometimes it's a little off putting when journalists play too clever by half ... on the day when simple eloquence would be so welcome ... we know your witty smart and snarky and we'd love you for it ... I just think that after years of vitriol that the use of the day dedicated to him and love and serve his country ... it would've been nice to bow to piece it celebrated George W Bush ... this piece instead will be passed around the news that the end of the further ... any deeper meaning a loss like a quitter attack ads from Jean Patterson said James ... you went to this great event the unveiling of Bush library and Gina saying she's ... can Aegis praised of the year ... while you know in this business it's important to know your strengths in your limitations ... add ... this piece I believe played my stripes ... I'm not really a strong strong as Uppsala greater ... I'll leave that to somebody else ... okay so what else can celebrate Yule provide ... the stark in the way ... and that's the web calmness chain store and to thank so much the opening of the yuan again soon thanks to talk back to our viewers